Ian Ward is leaving Sussex with two years of his contract still to run.

The 33-year-old opening batsman is retiring from the game to take up a full-time job presenting cricket coverage on Sky Sports.

Ward joined the county in the aftermath of their Championship success in 2003, hoping that his move from Surrey would re-ignite his career and help him add to the five Test caps he won in 2001.

But after just two seasons, the second of which was blighted by injury, he is calling it a day to develop a career which he has done on a part-time basis for the last four years.

He admitted his decision to retire was one of the hardest he has ever had to make.

"The new television deal which starts next year means there is going to be more cricket on Sky," he said.

"The TV work is something I wanted to cultivate for after my playing days finished and I knew that it would be a really hard decision to make if that offer came while I was still contracted to Sussex.

"The club have been fantastic about everything. I kept (cricket manager) Mark Robinson fully abreast of developments and he has been very supportive. The offer from Sky gives me and my family a secure future and he told me I had to go for it."

Ward enjoyed a productive first season at Hove, scoring four Championship centuries and developing a promising opening partnership with Matt Prior in one-day cricket.

But he was hit by injury this summer and missed nearly half of the season because of groin and neck injuries.

"I really enjoyed my time at Sussex and the club have been very good to me. I am disappointed I wasn't able to make more of a contribution this year. I'd never missed a match through injury before so to miss so many games in the second half of the season was very frustrating."

Robinson, who has only been in the job for a month, now has to contend with the departure of a second capped player in less than a fortnight following Tim Ambrose's move to Warwickshire.

Replacing someone of Ward's experience and ability, he finished with a first-class average of 40.25, will not be easy but Ward believes the club will go from strength to strength.

"A new side is starting to emerge and guys like Carl Hopkinson, Chris Nash, Neil Turk and Sean Heather should be thinking that there is an opportunity to give it a red-hot go and establish themselves, just as Mike Yardy did last season," he added.

"Sussex are a great county to play for and I'm sure I'll miss it when the new season starts, especially the camaraderie in the dressing room and the adrenlin rush you get as an opening batsmen facing quick bowlers.

"Television provides its own challenges and offers stress of a different sort but I'm really looking forward to developing my career in a different direction."